Household slipper



W. M. SCHOLL HOUSEHOLD SLIPPER Jafi. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 27, 1963 Jan. 24, 1967 w. M. SCHOLL 3,299,540

HOUSEHOLD SLIPPER Filed May 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. miaczm M fioZ A TORNE YS United States Patent 1 M 3,299,540 HOUSEHOLD SLIPPER William M. Scholl, 213 W. Schiller SL,

Chicago, Ill. 60610 Filed May 27, 1963, Ser. No. 283,242

* 2 Claims. (Cl. 36--8.1)

It is an important object of this invention to provide an economical form of household slipper that is extremely light in weight and yet cushions the plantar surface of the foot when in use.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a household slipper which is substantially flat when not in use; takes up little space, and is highly suitable for traveling, the slipper being wearable in a bathtub or shower stall.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a ventilated household slipper which may be laundered whenever desired, and which dries extremely quickly after having been wet. v

- Still a further feature of the instant invention resides in the provision of a light weight household slipper that lies flat when not in use with the upper portion resting upon the sole portion, and which is made in a style such that the same slipper may be worn on either foot, there being no right and left distinguishing characteristic, and yet the slipper is extremely attractive in appearance both on or off the foot.

It is also a desideratum of this invention to provide a hosuehold slipper that may be worn on either foot, which is stretchable so that the same slipper will fit a wide range of sizes, and which is provided with an opening in the upper so shaped as to render the slipper easily put on the foot.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a household slipper in which the upper rests flatly on the sole portion when the slipper is not in use, the upper having a single substantially keyhole-shaped opening therein which causes the slippper to intimately hug the upper portion of the foot when in use.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a household slipper made of heat scalable foam material, whereby the upper is heat sealed to the sole portion, no stitching being involved, and wherein the slipper may readily be reinforced around the opening in the upper.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of a household slipper made of plastic foam materials heat sealed together, and which may readily be made in desirable color with contrasting decorative trim utilized to enhance the pleasing appearance of the slipper. i

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following dis-closures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary showing of a household slipper embodying principles of the instant invention in operative position upon a human foot;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the slipper itself removed from the foot;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the slipper;

3,299,540 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the slipper with a portion turned over to show the structure there beneath;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the slipper taken substantially as indicated by the line VV of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a slipper having additional decorative features thereon; and

FIGURE 7 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VIL-VII of FIGURE 6.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is preferably made from an organic synthetic resin foam, such for example as polyvinyl chloride foam, isocyanate, polyester or polyurethane foam, or the like. Such material is soft, provides a nice feeling clinging action to the foot, has intercommunicating cells whereby the foot is ventilated, can be laundered whenever desired and is durable. After the substance becomes moist, it is a simple expedient merely to squeeze it to press out the water, and the material dries in a very few minutes. Such material is also readily heat-scalable, and, depending upon the structure of the die, provides an almost instantaneous bar seam or a heat and tear seal seam from one side of which waste stock may be readily stripped away. The heat sealing is done on a suitable press, electronically by a very short application of high frequency current.

The slipper selected herein for purposes of illustration comprises an unbroken bottom or sole layer 1 of plastic foam which is thicker, as seen in FIGURE 5, than the upper so as to better afford a cushioning action to the foot and provide longer wear. An upper 2 of equal overall area to the sole layer 1 is secured to the sole layer by a fine line heat seal seam 3 defining the bounding edge of the device. This upper 2, as seen in FIGURE 5, need only be substantially half as thick as the sole layer 1, if desired, although such is not essential even though more practical, and other variations in thickness may be utilized.

The foam upper 2 is provided with a foot receiving opening therein of the general shape of a keyhole, which opening is entirely defined by a fine line heat seal seam and which opening includes a relatively large rounded rear portion 4 merging with an elongated portion 5 the sides edges of which converge forwardly. Around this opening is a trim and decorative piece 6 which is secured to the upper 2 by means of the heat seal seam defining the opening 45 and also by means of a broken bar seal seam 7 which gives the appearance of stitching both externally and internally of the upper as is evident from the showing in FIGURE 4. This trim and reinforcing piece 6 may be of a different color to contrast with the color of the upper. The colors may be varied throughout the slipper, if so desired, with the sole, upper, and trim pieces contrasting and blending throughout numerous combinations of colors. Obviously, the trim piece 6 may be differently shaped than illustrated depending upon the styling desired.

The keyhole-shaped opening with the converging side edges on the part 5 cause the upper to snugly fit the foot of the user as indicated at 8 in FIGURE 1 where the slipper is shown on a human foot 9. The effect of sloppiness is eliminated and the slipper hugs the foot snugly therearound presenting a pleasing appearance, a neater fit, a feeling of comfort. The sole portion 1 cushions the plantar surface of the foot, insulates the foot from hot or cold floor contact, and along with the upper permits the foot to breathe through the entire slipper by virtue of its porosity. The slipper may be worn substantially any where in or around the house and particularly may be readily packed in a traveling bag and used in the bathtub or shower wherever the traveler may go. When the slipper is packed, the upper is pressed down directly upon the sole portion without the slight space therebetween seen in FIGURE 5. The slipper is extremely light in weight, for example a slipper having a one-fourth inch sole piece and one-eighth inch upper and trim pieces will weigh approximately one-fourth ounce. Consequently substantially no weight is added to the luggage by virtue of carrying a pair of slippers, and little room is occupied.

It is a simple expedient to draw the slipper on over a foot, no attention being paid as to what slipper goes on the right foot and what goes on the left foot, slippers for both feet being identical. The foam material is stretchable to areasonable extent, and consequently one size slipper may be utilized for a range of foot sizes.

Further, the slippers may be economically roduced and are reasonably long lived.

In FIGURES 6 and 7 I have illustrated one further example of the added decoration for the slipper. In this instance, the upper is joined to the lower by a relatively wide bounding heat seal seam 10 and the die is so shaped as to provide transversely spaced elevations 11 around this heat seal seam, providing the transversely ribbed appearance of the welt of a shoe. Obviously other decorative material might be added, if desired, or that illustrated varied as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efiected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a household slipper,

a plastic foam sole layer,

a thinner plastic foam upper having a keyhole-shaped opening therein,

said opening having a relatively large rounded rear portion merging with an elongated front portion the side edges of which converge forwardly,

a fine-line heat seal seam joining said upper to said sole layer and defining the bounding edge of the slipper,

a decorative and reinforcing plastic foam piece around said opening,

a fine-line heat seal seam joining the upper and inner edge of said piece and defining said opening, and

a decorative heat seal seam joining the outer margin of said piece and said upper.

2. In a household slipper,

a plastic foam sole layer,

a thinner plastic foam upper having a keyhole-shaped opening therein,

said opening having a relatively large rounded rear portion merging with an elongated front portion the side edges of which converge forwardly,

a fine-line heat seal seam joining said upper to said sole layer and defining the bounding edge of the slipper,

a decorative and reinforcing plastic foam piece around said opening,

a fine-line heat seal seam joining the upper and inner edge of said piece and defining said opening, and

a decorative heat seal seam joining the outer margin of said piece and said upper, said piece being generally of keyholed-shape and of a different color than said upper.

References Cited by the Examiner JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HOUSEHOLD SLIPPER, A PLASTIC FOAM SOLE LAYER, A THINNER PLASTIC FOAM UPPER HAVING A KEYHOLE-SHAPED OPENING THEREIN, SAID OPENING HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGE ROUNDED REAR PORTION MERGING WITH AN ELONGATED FRONT PORTION THE SIDE EDGES OF WHICH CONVERGE FORWARDLY, A FINE-LINE HEAT SEAL JOINING SAID UPPER TO SAID HOLE LAYER AND DEFINING THE BOUNDING EDGE OF THE SLIPPER, A DECORATIVE AND REINFORCING PLASTIC FOAM PIECE AROUND SAID OPENING, A FINE-LINE HEAT SEAL SEAM JOINING THE UPPER AND INNER EDGE OF SAID PIECE AND DEFINING SAID OPENING, AND A DECORATIVE HEAT SEAL SEAM JOINING THE OUTER MARGIN OF SAID PIECE AND SAID UPPER. 